The acronym ET (extraterrestrial) points to the idea that living organisms might exist somewhere beyond our Earth. And the acronym UFO (unidentified flying object) means that something unidentified appears in the sky.

Sometimes UFOs are eventually identified as a weather balloon, parachute or jet plane, so a mystery becomes an ordinary event.¹ But other times we never understand what’s up there. When we can’t understand, it’s tempting to see a UFO as an alien spacecraft piloted by creatures from the far reaches of the universe.

The distinction between UFOs and ETs isn’t ironclad. Again, the U in UFO stands for unidentified, and it’s possible that some UFOs could be ETs. During World War II, for instance, airborne glowing balls were observed and photographed by Allied pilots. These phenomena came to be called Foo Fighters (the rock band came later…), and suggest that some UFOs might be intelligent life forms. The life forms might not be as we normally understand them. They’d be more like those energy creatures we see in Star Trek and other science fiction stories. And they’d probably be able to survive any kind of atmospheric conditions.

ETs and UFOs in Popular Culture

Among all the uncertainty, hoaxers and confused thinking we find today, it remains true that ETs and UFOs are a part of popular culture.

Different web sites arguably reflect various human myths, dreams and expectations about aliens and their alleged spacecraft. Given the limits of our human consciousness, it’s not surprising that most of the talk about ET/UFOs is colored by personal bias and cultural filters.

Religious fundamentalists, who usually see the world in black and white, often say that aliens are manifestations of the devil. At the other end of the spectrum, some ET/UFO enthusiasts claim that aliens are here to save the planet.

In addition, some individuals believe that they, themselves, are alien emissaries, born of a human but really, so they say, from another planet or cosmic dimension.

While it’s good to be open-minded, the topic of ETs and UFOs requires careful, critical analysis. The following list outlines some of the main questions that any serious researcher should ask:

There’s a lot of material on the internet about ETs and UFOs. Here’s a sampling of what can be found today. Some of these web sites might seem sort of far out and questionable, while others appear quite sober and raise some good questions.

Stop Alien Abductions provides instructions on how to make a helmet that supposedly prevents ETs from abducting or controlling people through psi

ETs, UFOs and Spiritual Discernment

UFOs and common sense - see image notes, below.

Arlan K. Andrews summarizes a good number of reports suggesting that psi abilities (ESP, clairvoyance) increase after a person believes they’ve had a first ET/UFO contact.2

Although inadequately explored in the ET/UFO literature, from the perspective of interfaith mysticism it’s conceivable that unfriendly ETs or, perhaps, demonic spirits posing as ETs impart paranormal abilities on psychologically vulnerable individuals, leading them to develop a kind of inferiority/superiority complex (as spelled out by the American psychologist, Alfred Adler).

It would be easy for a vulnerable individual to overlook painful personal issues if meddling ETs or demons were (apparently) feeding them other people’s thoughts, along with false prophecies and delusional ideas about being special and better than everyone else.³

Indeed, some people seem convinced that they’ve been sent to Earth as sacred rulers over the unenlightened masses. And they’re willing to ignore or patch up false prophecies with ad hoc explanations to prevent their (most likely) delusional bubble from bursting, which would probably bring painful personal issues to the fore.

While the powers that be tend to see false prophecy in terms of a delusion or mental illness, there’s nothing wrong with this approach when it’s right. A problem arises, however, when that kind of explanation might be wrong or, at least, incomplete.

Along these lines, contemporary and ancient religious traditions suggest the, perhaps, related approach of discernment. Admittedly, discernment is a tricky concept with a meaning that really depends on who’s using it. But I believe it still has some value.

The anthropologist I. M. Lewis notes in Ecstatic Religion (1971) that saints, sages and shamans from all walks of life agree that the psyche is not an island. This may have a positive aspect. Figures like St. Anthony, for example, reportedly have guided individuals toward lost articles and missing children.

However, personal openness to being guided has a downside. A good number of spiritualists and theologians believe that the mind can be obsessed or even possessed by spiritual hackers, traditionally regarded as demons, tramp souls and ancestral spirits.

For convenience, the possibility of evil ETs and demons will be grouped under the single heading of Negative Spiritual Influences (NSI). While some believers in NSI might be paranoid reactionaries, it’s improbable that all of them are paranoid and deluded.

Different spiritual traditions suggest that NSI can produce hallucinations and manipulate individuals. Existing in a more comprehensive space-time than human beings, NSI might see future possibilities, influence a person’s choices, and compel them to accept false explanations as to why certain events occur.4

Most of us have probably met someone with an underlying inferiority complex or unresolved psychological trauma who parades around telling others they’re an achieved saint. This kind of thing seems quite common in both organized religions and cults, where not a few borderline – or perhaps insane – individuals hide out under the safe, well-defined and socially legitimate structures of their particular religion or cult.

To avoid this kind of scenario, interior influences allegedly of ET origin must be painstakingly discerned. Discernment in the religious sense means the use of reason, experience and divine gifts to separate true and false interior perceptions. As Henri Martin P.S.S. puts it:

The charism of discernment is “a kind of supernatural instinct by which those who have it perceive intuitively the origin, either divine or not, of thoughts and inclinations submitted to them.” (J. de Guibert, Lecons, p. 306). It is to be distinguished from revelation of the secrets of hearts, properly so called, made directly by God. In such revelations, which is extremely rare, objective certitude is absolute. In the case of discernment the chances of error lie in the subjective interpretation and use of the supernatural light received. Lacking an infused charism, ordinarily “God will assist by special interior light a gift of discernment acquired by experience and prudence in the application of the traditional rules of discernment.” (ibidem).5

On the need for spiritual seekers to be sincere, humble and rational in the discernment process, the scholar of mysticism, Evelyn Underhill, says:

Ecstasies, no less than visions and voices, must, they declare, be subjected to unsparing criticism before they are recognized as divine: whilst some are undoubtably “of God,” others are no less clearly “of the devil.”6

The Next Step

When approached with an appropriate degree of care, the notion of ETs and UFOs can be thought-provoking and good material for sci-fi tales. The possibility of ETs and UFOs point to a broader canvas and, for all we know, the next stage of humanity’s journey through the cosmos.

As with any new and uncharted territory, however, it’s usually unwise to act on blind impulse. Those who believe they inwardly perceive and, perhaps, possess special abilities from ETs would probably do best to err on the side of caution.

Unconventional interior perceptions and alleged psi abilities should be soberly evaluated in the spirit of humility and, in whenever possible, within the context of informed and qualified peers. Predictions should be checked with actual outcomes. Either something happens or it doesn’t. And no amount of ex post facto fudging can change the fact that an ET prophecy didn’t come true. And interior perceptions should be checked within a larger group of qualified peers so that mistakes are identified and corrected. A genuine conversation among real human beings could result in coming to terms with personal issues or, perhaps, revealing faulty information that contributed to a false interpretation of an interior perception.

To rigorously examine a given truth claim is hardly a groundbreaking idea. It’s prominent in religion with the discernment process and in science with the peer review. And there’s no reason why sincere ET and UFO research should be any less responsible.

Image Notes

See photo in middle of this article

These lights appear about ½ – ¾ inch below the moon in the original photo posted in the middle of this article (detailed here with enhanced contrast). This is not a UFO but at first I thought it might be. After taking several pictures of the same scene it was clear that the three lights moved in some kind of mathematical relation to the camera angle. I concluded that these lights were a quirk of the camera and am compelled to ask how many other UFO images could be explained this way.

4 (a) George P. Hanson discusses this area in The Trickster and the Paranormal (New York: Xlibris, 2001, pp. 210-248).

(b) The belief in demonic influence is found in almost all religions, myths and folk traditions. See, for instance, Sir J. G. Frazier’s The Golden Bough. Some have attempted to integrate the spiritual view with perspectives from contemporary psychiatry and psychology.

(c) Spiritual seekers sometimes believe that a divine voice foretells the future or outlines the best course of action. Others say God appears to them personally. However, in some cases it’s unclear whether these voices and visions are from God or perhaps a NSI that phrases things and applies specific emotional tones (e.g. firm and domineering or perhaps gentle and loving) to prey on psychologically vulnerable individuals. Similarly, destructive cult leaders manipulate disciples through prolonged psychological, sexual and/or cultic abuse. Victims compensate by believing they’re special or ‘chosen’ vehicles of the divine when, more likely, they’re being duped and exploited by the charismatic leader (and possibly a NSI). Moreover, a cult leader or alleged spirit guide may give victims new names and even induce extraordinary numinous experiences to reinforce a delusional sense of superiority and holiness. Chrystine Oksana points out that victims of prolonged abuse often denounce their families and form ties with a new family, creating new names for themselves to fit with their new self-image. This may be a necessary stage in the overall healing process but the question remains: How many victims abreact their pain and heal from the initial abuse? In addition, Catholics and Muslims accept new names when entering a monastic community. So the issue of taking on a new name is potentially complicated and jumping to the conclusion that it indicates pathology seems unwarranted.

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As much as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to convince U.S. politicians to be wary of a nuclear deal with Iran, he has two other big players he also wants to sway -- Iranian officials and his own people.

The father of a New Delhi gang rape victim, whose shocking attack on a public bus provoked outrage around the world, is calling for the immediate execution of the convicted rapists after one of them blamed the dead woman and told documentary filmmakers that "she should just be silent and allow the rape."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns against the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons during a controversial speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, saying Tehran is as radical as ever.

Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued on Tuesday to pay their respects to Boris Nemtsov, the Kremlin critic whose murder last week showed the hazards of speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One of South America's most active volcanoes erupted early Tuesday in southern Chile, spewing heavy smoke into the air as lava surged down its slopes, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people.

North Carolina prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a man who police say kept detailed notes on parking at his condominium complex before gunning down three young Muslims in a neighbouring unit, according to documents released on Monday.

A head pastor of large Canadian church has failed to return from a humanitarian mission to North Korea, and the Canadian government has reached out to try to locate him, his Toronto-based church said on Monday.

Cleveland's mayor apologized on Monday after the city's lawyers suggested in court documents that Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who had a pellet gun when he was shot by police, died as a result of his own actions.

Born in 1962, I was almost too young to really appreciate Star Trek by the time it had run its course from 1966-69. Seven years old, and Star Trek had been cancelled. My first memories of watching Star Trek are … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Earthpages.org:Statue of Sir John A Macdonald, Ontario Provincial Parliament, Queens Park, Toronto (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Michael Clark (Transcribed with edits from a voice recording) Recently I linked to a news story about Ontario Premier…

One of the coldest days of the year. Nevertheless, the sun came out so I opened the curtains, rolled up the bind and let some air in. Although stylized, the light around me is sunlight, reflected in a full-size mirror. … Continue reading →

continuing on with the “mad machines” theme… this was taken today in a very chilly toronto… construction of a light rail transport that has congested traffic – the orb at top right is the sun… additional orbs appeared with help … Continue reading →

Here’s a post-apocalyptic themed track. The woman’s voice is from https://www.freesound.org/people/Corsica_S/sounds/99480/ . I think she’s got an amazing voice. If interested, check out other samples her boyfriend has uploaded (she’s usually described as “my girlfriend”). And here’s a list of all … Continue reading →

This is a tune I’m working on called “what happened here.” I did another song by that title some time ago. About the only similarity is that I’m using the same woman’s voice for a sample. I really like this … Continue reading →

This is a beautiful old Church. The renovations have been going on for ages. At one point, you could see the original bricks at the entrance from the 1800s. I liked them so much, I think they should have just … Continue reading →

(Transcript, with a few edits, from dictation with the Dragon app) I converted to Catholicism in 2001. I did so for spiritual not political or social reasons. I felt tremendous power and graces within the church, like I’d never felt … Continue reading →

(Transcript, with a few edits, from dictation with the Dragon app) We all know that the news is slanted. But recently in Canadian politics a story came up that made this so painfully obvious. This story might not be of … Continue reading →